Starmer raises pressure on head of OBR by saying budget leak was serious error'

"I'm very supportive of the OBR. It is, in my view, vital for stability and inbuilt in our fiscal rules, which I've said a number of times are iron-clad. So look, I'm not going to suggest that what happened last week, which was the entire budget being published before the chancellor got to her feet, was not anything other than a serious error. This was market-sensitive information. It was a massive discourtesy to parliament. It's a serious error, and there's an investigation that's going on."

"Starmer defended his chancellor in a speech that No 10 hopes will bolster Reeves's position after days of criticism that she misled the cabinet, MPs and the public by claiming there was a hole in the public finances to justify tax rises. While rebutting those claims, he also set out a multiyear economic plan based around deregulation, further welfare overhauls and closer European ties before the next election."

Keir Starmer escalated pressure on the head of the government's spending watchdog after a market-sensitive budget leak that published the entire budget before the chancellor delivered her statement. The Office for Budget Responsibility is due to publish the result of its leak investigation on Monday, leaving the future of chair Richard Hughes uncertain. Starmer defended Chancellor Rachel Reeves and outlined a multiyear economic plan focused on deregulation, welfare reforms and closer European ties. Starmer expressed strong support for the OBR as vital for stability but described the leak as a serious error and a massive discourtesy to parliament. An investigation is ongoing.

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